IFS Journaling Training
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You already know how to journal. What you might not know is how to journal with your parts — and how to turn that practice into either a deeper personal healing tool, or a real professional credential.
IFS Journaling Training teaches you to write to and from the different parts of yourself using Internal Family Systems (IFS), combined with poetry therapy technique. For therapists, it also doubles as mentored fieldwork toward an actual Poetry Therapy Certification — I’m a Mentor/Supervisor through the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (IFBPT), so the hours you complete here count toward that credential, not just toward your own practice.
What You’ll Actually Learn
This isn’t generic journaling advice. It’s a specific method for writing to your Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles — the parts IFS identifies — using techniques drawn from clinical poetry therapy:
- Parts dialogue journaling — writing directly to and from a specific part, not just about your day
- Found poetry from parts dialogues — turning a client’s (or your own) journaled words into distilled, clarifying language
- Metaphor mapping for protectors, managers, and exiles
- Somatic poetry techniques for parts that live in the body
- Session-integration methods — for therapists, how to bring this into a 50-minute clinical hour
This isn’t “writing poetry.” It’s a clinical technique for accessing parts that talk therapy — or plain journaling — often can’t reach on its own.
For Therapists: The Credential Behind the Training
If you’ve searched “poetry therapy certification,” you’ve probably found a maze of acronyms — CPT, PTR, CAPF, IFBPT — and not a lot of clarity on what any of it means. Here’s the plain version.
Poetry therapy — sometimes called biblio/poetry therapy — is a credentialed specialty within the creative arts therapies. The International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (IFBPT) is the independent standards-setting body for the field, and it’s the organization that confers the recognized designations:
- CAPF (Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator) — works with developmental and educational populations, not clinical mental health settings
- CPT (Certified Poetry Therapist) — works under clinical supervision in mental health settings
- PTR (Registered Poetry Therapist) — the advanced clinical designation, for licensed mental health professionals with extensive supervised fieldwork
These credentials take real time — typically requiring supervised practicum hours, peer group participation, and mentorship over one to several years, depending on the track.
IFS Journaling Training is not a shortcut around that process. I’m a Mentor through the IFBPT — which means I personally mentor and supervise trainees toward the CPT, PTR, or CAPF credential, following the training and fieldwork standards the IFBPT itself has set. The hours and supervision you complete through IFS Journaling Training count toward your IFBPT credential — you’re not doing separate “prep work” before the real training starts.
Who This Is For
- Anyone who already journals and wants a real method for writing to their parts, not just their day
- Licensed therapists and counselors familiar with IFS who want to deepen parts work — personally or with clients
- Clinicians pursuing IFBPT’s CPT or PTR credential who want mentored fieldwork toward it
- Therapists who feel stuck doing “intellectual” IFS with clients and want an embodied, creative bridge
- Anyone drawn to this work who assumes they’re “not a poet” — you don’t need to be. All you need is a pen, paper, and some creativity.
- Anyone who wants to start now, not wait for a cohort — rolling enrollment means there’s no application deadline to miss
What’s Included
- Ongoing virtual training — join anytime with rolling enrollment, no cohort start date to wait for
- Peer groups with like minded therapists to practice journaling and poetry techniques.
- For therapists pursuing certification: mentored hours toward your IFBPT credential
- Discounted access for 1:1 meetings for consultation & mentorship
Investment: Starting at $37/month
Enrollment: Rolling — start anytime
About Your Instructor
I’m Tim Kelly, LCSW — a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, IFS Level 1 trained therapist, Registered Poetry Therapist, Mentor through the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (IFBPT), and Certified Forest Therapy Guide. I run Propagate Hope Counseling in Aurora, Colorado, and over the past three years I’ve built a practice around integrating IFS, nature-based work, and poetry therapy into one clinical model.
As an IFBPT Mentor, I supervise trainees directly toward their CPT, PTR, or CAPF credential — meaning when you train with me, you’re not doing generic prep work, you’re doing the actual mentored fieldwork the IFBPT requires.
I built IFS Journaling Training because I kept getting the same question from other therapists: “How do I actually use this with clients, not just understand it intellectually?” This is that answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IFS Journaling Training?
It’s a virtual, mentored training in journaling with your parts using Internal Family Systems (IFS) and poetry therapy technique. It’s built for anyone who wants a real method — not just prompts — and it also serves as mentored fieldwork for therapists pursuing a formal Poetry Therapy Certification.
Do I need to be a therapist to join?
No. Anyone who journals with some type of clientele can with the intent on getting their poetry therapy credential. Other examples could be librarians, educators, addiction or justice involed peers, or poets who just love parts work. Therapists get additional clinical framing and, if pursuing IFBPT credentialing, mentored hours that count toward it.
Do I need to already know IFS to take this program?
Nope! Our IFS lens just helps us hold the space of creativity and take notice of whats occurring. None of the training counts towards IFS Certification through the IFS Institute, nor are we affiliated in anyway.
How much does IFS Journaling Training cost?
It starts at $37/month which includes getting your application into the IFBPT, and discounted access to trainings, 1:1 mentoring, and peer groups – all needed to become a certified facilitator or therapist.
Can I do this if I don’t consider myself a writer or a poet?
Yes. This training focuses on poetry therapy as a clinical technique, not creative writing craft. Some of the strongest results happen with clients — and therapists — who’d never call themselves writers.
Is poetry therapy certification legitimate?
Yes — it’s a recognized specialty credential overseen by the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (IFBPT), a 501(c)(6) independent standards-setting board. The credentials (CAPF, CPT, PTR) require documented training, supervised practicum hours, and mentorship. Poetry therapy is one of five creative arts therapies, which include art therapy, dance therapy, drama therapy, and music therapy.
Does IFS Journaling Training count toward my IFBPT credential?
Yes. I’m a Mentor through the IFBPT, so the training and supervision hours you complete with me count toward your CPT, PTR, or CAPF credential — following the standards the IFBPT itself has set. It’s not a separate prep course; it’s the mentored fieldwork the credential requires.
What’s the difference between CPT and PTR?
CPT (Certified Poetry Therapist) is for those working under clinical supervision in mental health settings. PTR (Registered Poetry Therapist) is the advanced designation for licensed mental health professionals who’ve completed a higher level of supervised fieldwork — it allows for more independent clinical practice.
How long does poetry therapy certification take?
Full CPT or PTR credentialing through IFBPT typically takes one to several years, depending on your existing licensure and the track you pursue. IFS Journaling Training itself is ongoing, virtual programming with rolling enrollment — you join at your own pace and continue for as long as it’s useful to you.
Is “Poetry Therapy Certification” the same as “Journal Therapy Certification”?
No, and this is worth knowing before you commit to a program. Poetry Therapy Certification (CPT/PTR/CAPF) is granted by IFBPT — the credential I mentor toward. Journal Therapy Certification (CJT/CJF) is a separate credential granted by the Therapeutic Writing Institute. They’re related fields with similar-sounding names, but different standards bodies and different mentors.
Ready to Get Started?
If you want a real way to journal with your parts — whether that’s for your own healing, your clinical work, or a formal Poetry Therapy Certification — let’s talk about whether IFS Journaling Training is the right next step.